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January 29, 2013

Redland City Council crews, emergency workers and other agencies are working tirelessly to respond to the unique needs of our island communities in the wake of the severe weather that has affected our region.

Redland City Mayor Karen Williams said that our island communities have been hard hit and that there were inherent logistical difficulties when responding to emergencies in remote locations.

“Most Redland residents have endured the inconvenience of power outages, but the widespread outages on the Southern Moreton Bay Islands (SMBI) have left these residents stranded without food and cash, and some residents without power to run the medical equipment they rely on.

“Energex crews are already on the SMBI islands working to restore power.

“Some Macleay Island residents have reported that power has now been restored to their homes. In the interim, Council assisted by suppling diesel fuel to run generators to keep the Macleay Island SPAR supermarket open, to support the Macleay Island emergency services and to assist Macleay Island residents who rely on critical medical equipment in their homes,” Councillor Williams said.

Following is a snapshot of the situation and services relating to the Redland island communities.

Power outages
Power outages have affected all our island communities. At this stage power has been restored to North Stradbroke Island, with some residents of Macleay Island reporting power has been restored to their homes. Energex crews are already at work on the other islands.

If you see fallen power lines do not go near them, but contact Energex on 13 19 62.

Contact Energex on 13 62 62 for updates on timeframes for power restoration.

As mentioned above, Council has supplied diesel fuel to Macleay Island (SMBI) to run generators to assist people who rely on medical equipment and keep the local SPAR supermarket open, which can supply essential grocery items and ice. The supermarket is offering cash only sales as there are no EFTPOS or banking services available due to the power outage.

Russell Island’s IGA supermarket is currently closed.

Water
Water supply has now been restored to all houses in the Point Lookout area, North Strabroke Island, with the damage to the Donahue Street Reservoir being rectified.

Waste
All island waste transfer stations will be open for extended hours until 4.30pm tomorrow. Ongoing
extended hours will be review in the coming days according to demand.

Coochiemudlo waste and recycling collection will be serviced Wednesday 30 January from 6am.

Due to Straddie vehicle barges not operating on Monday, kerbside waste services were not
performed.

Waste collection will be serviced on Wednesday 30 January with waste trucks arriving on Straddie
by 6am.

Transport
Passenger and vehicular ferry services to all our island communities are operating as per their
regular timetables.

Queensland Rail reports that the Cleveland train line is currently operating between Roma Street
and Wellington Point. The Wellington Point to Cleveland section of rail is expected to reopen in
approximately two to three days, with a bus service being provided to commuters in the interim. The regular Monday to Friday train timetable has been suspected due to major damage to overhead wires at Fortitude Valley.

Customers can access information and service updates at www.translink.com.au or by calling
13 12 30.

Free green waste kerbside collection
Island residents are encouraged to make use of the free green waste kerbside collection to dispose
of green waste resulting from the storm.

Residents need to have green waste from the storm on their footpath by no later than Sunday 10
February, as collection would commence early Monday 11 February.

Drive with caution
Sections of Victoria Parade on Coochiemudlo Island have restricted access.

Personal Hardship Assistance
People who are experiencing personal hardship due to the storm should contact the Department of Communities on 1800 173 349 for support.

Personal Hardship Assistance Scheme (PHAS) grants are now available to support those families experiencing personal hardship, by covering the immediate, unexpected basic costs of essential items such as food, clothing and accommodation due to the extreme weather.

A grant of up to $180 per person, up to a maximum of $900 for a family of five or more, is available to eligible people experiencing genuine hardship.

Schools
Macleay Island State School is closed today.
Parents should use their discretion and consider access issues, road closures and transport in their community before sending their child to school.

A full update of school, TAFE and early childhood education centre closures can be found at http://dete.qld.gov.au/natural-disasters.html

Families without power should listen to their local radio station or call Smart Services Queensland 13 QGOV (13 74 68) for information on school closures.

Due to overwhelming numbers of calls, Council’s Operations Centre phone number to report fallen trees has been changes to 3829 8363, however calls to the previous number (3829 8752) are still being answered.

Residents are encouraged to monitor Council’s website (www.redland.qld.gov.au), Facebook and Twitter for updates on advice and services.